Helen Haines, Australia's Top 100 Books & Kelly Clarkson's Bird-Gate

Welcome to our first standalone Distractions & Recommendations episode! We've moved the Housewives to their own table, leaving Sof and Jess free to dive into the news, pop culture rabbit holes, books and bizarre internet behaviour that's been occupying our minds. Helen Haines, Gendered Violence & the Media We begin with the devastating alleged attack on independent MP Helen Haines, discussing violence against women, increasingly hostile political rhetoric and why media coverage so often shifts the spotlight from victims to alleged perpetrators. ABC's Top 100 Australian Books Australia has voted! Tim Winton's Cloudstreet takes the crown, followed by The Book Thief and _Boy Swallows Universe_. But where are the diverse voices? Kelly Clarkson & the $15,000 Mechanical Bird What We're Recommending 🌿 Sof: Apple's Visual Look Up feature, turning ordinary walks into little adventures of discovery.😂 Jess: Comedian Tim Collins and his fabulously chaotic character Deb. 00:00 —Welcome to Distractions & Recommendations 01:27 — Helen Haines & the Media's Response 10:57 — Political Threats, Misogyny & Media Outrage 23:39 — ABC's Top 100 Australian Books 28:09 — Boy Swallows Universe & Reading Confessions 33:14 — Diversity in Australian Literature 34:47 — Literary vs Upmarket vs Commercial Fiction 48:09 — Kelly Clarkson's $15,000 Bird Drama 56:13 — Sof's iPhone Discovery 01:01:19 — Jess Recommends Tim Collins & Deb Mentioned & Recommended https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-2...   / tarangchawla   https://australianfemicidewatch.org/ https://www.abc.net.au/listen/radiona... https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-1... https://support.apple.com/en-au/104962 Books Mentioned & Recommended https://www.penguin.com.au/books/clou... — Tim Winton https://bookshop.nla.gov.au/p/boy-swa... — Trent Dalton https://www.penguin.com.au/books/stas... — Anna Funder https://atlantic-books.co.uk/book/sca... — Michelle de Kretser https://goodreadingmagazine.com.au/ti... — Ella Baxter https://bookshop.nla.gov.au/p/ghost-c... — Siang Lu https://www.hachette.com.au/antoun-is... — Antoun Issa https://www.simonandschuster.com.au/b... — Rebecca Lim https://www.allenandunwin.com/browse/... — Naïma Brown House of Kwa - Mimi Kwa